


soon ya friends are more like family

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23435365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: “You are so stupidly selfless. So you’re happy for them, and I can almost believe that’s enough for you. But you’re allowed to be heartbroken, you know?”Five people who try to comfort Davey after Jack and Katherine get engaged, and the one who knows what's really going on.
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber
Comments: 20
Kudos: 93





	soon ya friends are more like family

**Author's Note:**

> In what is rapidly becoming a pattern, although not necessarily one I want to break, this fic is like 6000 words. I cannot write short newsies fics, apparently.
> 
> I'm gonna say that this _loosely_ builds on "we've got faith, we've got the plan (and we've got Jack)" but isn't so directly tied in that I'm gonna add it to the series. but if you want to know how j/d/k got together, that's how I'm picturing it. If you'd rather imagine some other scenario, great! I'm cool with that :) Does any of the wedding stuff in this make sense? No! Do I care? No!
> 
> ALSO, I have been writing fanfiction for like eleven years and have somehow _never_ written a 5+1 before? So here we go! Merry Christmas!

“Hey, Davey!”

David spins on his heel at the sound of Race’s voice, a smile on his face. “Hey, Race! How’s it going?”

“I’m great, man,” Race says. That nervous energy he always seems to have is rolling off him in waves, as he's shifting his weight from one side to the other and fiddling with his ever-present cigar. “Look, I heard about Jack and Kathy. How you holdin’ up?”

“I’m happy for them,” David says, completely genuinely. “They’re my best friends, and they’re stupidly perfect for each other.”

Race’s eyebrows crinkle together. “Well, yeah. But how are _you_ doing?”

“I –“ David looks away, shoving his hands into his pockets. _Oh._

“It’s a’right if you’re hurtin’, Dave,” Race says, stepping a little closer. His hand comes to rest on David’s shoulder, and he drops his voice so only David can hear him. “I know you’re – I mean, I see how you look at him. For a long time, I thought he was the same way over you.”

“It was always going to go this way,” replies David, shrugging. He doesn’t have a good way to explain how he’s really feeling about the engagement, especially since the situation is complicated and very much a secret. “He told me he was going to do it before he asked her.”

“He would,” says Race. There’s a faraway look in his eyes, one David can’t quite place. He sighs, patting David’s shoulder before dropping his hand. “Bet he didn’t even know what he was doin’ to you. F’you need anybody to talk to about it, you come find me, okay? I got you.”

David grabs Race by the shoulders and pulls him in for a hug. Race seems slightly startled at first, but only freezes up for a second before his arms tighten around David’s waist. David doesn’t really have words for how loved he feels right now – he and Race don’t run across each other by accident often, so he knows that the younger boy must’ve made a point of coming to find him when he heard the news. He doesn’t know the full story of what’s happening between David and Jack and Katherine, because no one does, but had gone well out of his way and made a special trip to catch David on his walk home because of what he _does_ know.

“Thanks, Race,” David says into Race’s shoulder. He steps back, tucking his hands back into his pockets. “It means a lot to me that you’d go out of your way like this to check up on me.”

“Of course, man,” Race says, like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “You’re always looking out for us. Least I can do is look out for you, too.”

David feels a little bit like he’s going to cry. He’s not feeling broken up over Jack and Katherine’s engagement by any means, but he can understand why Race thinks he would be. He’s just deeply touched that Race made this effort, and that he feels this is the natural thing to do.

“You got dinner plans, Racer?” David asks suddenly. Race shakes his head. “Come over to our place, then. Jackie’s finally figured out how to cook.”

“If you’re sure,” says Race.

“That he can cook, or that you should come over?” says David, laughing. “Because it’s a definite yes to the second, and as to the first – we’re working on it. Should be edible though.”

Race laughs and slings an arm around David’s shoulders. “Okay, Dave. Lead the way.”

Dinner is, in fact, edible. It’s pretty good, actually. Jack’s cooking has been improving by leaps and bounds. Race hangs around for a while afterward, and while nothing is overtly different about how he’s interacting with either of them, David can feel protectiveness rolling off him in waves.

“Was it just me, or was Race acting weird tonight?” Jack asks late that night. He’s sketching while David tries to read.

“He thinks you’ve just broken my heart,” David answers. He looks up at Jack when he hears him stop drawing. “The engagement, love.”

“Oh,” says Jack. “Right. You that obvious, Dave?”

David shrugs. “Racer’s close to us, he knows me well. An’ there’s enough other queer newsies that he wouldn’t have dismissed the idea offhand.” He kicks Jack gently. “And he said he thought you felt the same, so if I’m obvious, so are you.”

“I s’pose so,” Jack concedes. He sighs, looking back down at his sketchbook. “He don’t know, though?”

“Nah,” says David. “I didn’t tell him, and if he’d’a known he wouldn’t have been worryin’ about me.”

Jack sets his sketchbook aside and leans forward to grab onto David’s shirt. David lets Jack pull him into a more upright sitting position, so their faces are close. “You’d tell me if you was feelin’ down about the engagement, right?”

“Yes, Jack,” says David. He leans in just enough to give Jack a quick kiss before pulling away again. “We always knew it was going to go this way. You and Kate and I know where we stand, and it doesn’t matter if anyone else does.”

“Good,” Jack says. He brings a hand up to the side of David’s head, burying his fingers in curls. “Just know if we could we’d be marryin’ you, too.”

“I know, Jackie,” David says, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, love, really.”

\--

“And what’s happening in your life, David?” Mama asks over dinner a few days later. “Anything interesting happening at the paper?”

“I’m still getting assigned everything no one else wants,” David says, rolling his eyes. “But that’s being the most junior in the office, I suppose. Kathy’s got an article on the front page tomorrow morning though.”

“That’s great!” Sarah replies.

“We’re really proud of her,” says David. He couldn’t keep a smile off his face if he wanted to. “She’s finally getting some real recognition as a reporter.” Then he remembers the actual news he’s meant to be sharing tonight. “Oh! I can’t believe I forgot – Jack finally proposed! He and Katherine are getting married.”

There’s a little bit of uproar. Jack and Katherine are both well loved by the Jacobs family, having become a regular fixture at their dinner table immediately after the strike with no likely change in sight. David privately thought that both of them had needed a little more familial love in their lives for very different reasons, and is very glad his parents had accepted them as family without a second thought. Mama and Papa are both clearly happy, excited. Les cheers loudly at the news. Sarah is smiling, but she’s also watching David carefully.

“David, can we talk for a moment?” Sarah asks after dinner. She doesn’t give him a choice, pulling him into the bedroom they used to share. “Are you alright?”

“What are you talking about?” says David, crossing his arms.

“This wedding?” Sarah says. She’s chewing on the inside of her lip, David can tell because he does it all the time, too. Her eyes are searching his face for something, but he doesn’t know what. “The girl you’re in love with is marrying your best friend? Don’t play dumb with me, David Jacobs. I know all your secrets.”

 _Not by half_ , David thinks. Like with Race, though, he knows that this is coming from a place of love and concern, and he plays along. “Oh. I didn’t realize I was so obvious.”

“Only to me, I’m sure,” says Sarah. She wraps her arms around him and presses a small kiss to his temple. “You’re doing a good job putting on a happy face.”

“I _am_ happy for them, Sarah,” David says. He holds onto his sister anyway, leaning into the support. “They’re my two favorite people in the world.”

“Stupidly selfless, you are,” Sarah replies, shaking her head. She pulls him over to sit on one of the beds. “So you’re happy for them, and I can almost believe that’s enough for you. But you’re allowed to be heartbroken, you know?”

David leans onto her. For a bare half second, he considers telling her the truth. He stops himself before even taking in a breath to say it, though, because the risk that Sarah won’t understand is far, far too high. Instead he lets her play with his hair and say sympathetic things and tries to play into it with soft sighs and thoughts of Katherine. It’s not hard to act in love with Katherine, of course, because he’s _very very much_ in love with Katherine.

That’s why he’s marrying her, after all.

“Oh, god, Davey, when are you moving out?” Sarah says eventually, sitting up away from him and looking him in the eye for the first time in twenty minutes. “ _Where_ are you moving to?”

David takes a steadying breath, sweeping his own hands through his hair before responding. “I’m not moving, Sarah. Jack and I have a two bedroom.”

“Oh, honey, is that the best idea?”

“It’s why we _got_ a place with two bedrooms,” David admits. “It’s honestly a little out of what he and I alone can comfortably afford some months, but with three incomes we can pay rent and buy food and still have money in our pockets. Can you imagine?”

“I meant more for your mental state,” says Sarah. She’s frowning at him again.

“I know, Sar, and I really appreciate it,” David says honestly. “But I’ll take proximity if it’s what I can get. Maybe it doesn’t last forever –“ he closes his eyes tight, because this is his one _real_ fear about the whole thing – “maybe it doesn’t last forever. But temporary things can still be worthwhile.”

“If you say so,” says Sarah. “Promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”

“I promise, Sarah.”

He sees Katherine the next day at work. Their desks face each other, and it’s honestly a miracle he ever gets anything done because any time he looks up he’s looking at her.

“Hey, Plumber!” he greets as he passes her desk in the morning. “Funniest thing happened last night.”

“You had dinner with your parents last night, right?” Katherine replies as if she doesn’t know exactly where she was. At work, they maintain a certain distance even though their coworkers know they’re good friends; it’s all part of the ongoing game of keeping their relationship under wraps. “What happened?”

“I passed along your news, since Jack’s practically family,” David answers, gliding over the understood _and so are you_ , “and my _sister_ pulls me aside to ask if I’m alright. Apparently she thought I’m in love with you!”

Katherine laughs. They’ve been speaking at a fairly normal conversational volume, maybe a little on the quiet side, but her laugh is full volume and genuine. There’s a running joke in the office that Dave’s in love with Kathy, although no one actually knows it’s true. “Oh she _did_? Did you tell her that I’m miles out of your league?”

“Before the words were even out of her mouth,” says David. “I know better than to fall for a woman as terrifyingly competent as you. How Jack Kelly handles you is a mystery.”

“Carefully,” Katherine replies. David laughs, because the actual answer is with a great deal of help. Katherine is intense and motivated and amazing at what she does, and it’s all Jack and David can do to keep up with her. This is as far as the conversation goes in the public space of their office, although Katherine picks it up as they walk together to David and Jack’s apartment after work.

“Did Sarah really say that?”

“What?”

“Does she think you’re in love with me?” Katherine says, swatting his arm with the hand that isn’t already holding onto it. “Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Oh,” says David. “Yes, she did. She felt terrible for me, actually. Just like Race last week.”

“ _Race_ thinks you’re in love with me?” Katherine presses.

David drops his voice so only she can hear. “No, Race thinks I’m in love with Jack.”

“You need to be more careful,” says Katherine.

“I’m plenty careful, Katie,” David says soothingly. “But if anyone were going to notice anything, it’d be the two people outside of my fiancés who know me best in the world, wouldn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” concedes Katherine. “Neither of them figured out the whole story, did they?”

“No.”

“That’s something then.”

“That’s everything, darling.”

\--

“I have good news and bad news,” David announces as he joins his partners at the dinner table in the small apartment he shares with Jack.

“What’s the bad news?” Katherine and Jack say in perfect unison.

“You two are stunningly predictable,” David says. “How did I ever get so lucky as to find not one but _two_ pessimists to marry?”

“Just your good luck, I reckon,” says Jack. He taps his fingertips against the table, an anxious habit. “C’mon, Dave.”

“What’s wrong?” asks Katherine. She’s watching David closely.

“The _good_ news is that our secret is safe and I’m throwing the two of you an engagement party next week Friday,” David says, pretending that he doesn’t see the way Jack is squirming in his seat. “Be there or be a huge disappointment to me and all of our friends.”

“Davey,” Jack says. It’s gruff but has an undercurrent of begrudging affection, which is to say it’s exactly how he says Davey’s name about four to seven times every day.

“The bad news is that apparently all of our friends think I’m tragically heartbroken over your engagement,” David continues as if he hadn’t spoken. “Which is, again, mostly good news. Since it means that no one knows what’s going on here.”

Katherine reaches for his hand with one of hers and grabs Jack’s with the other. Her ring, which Jack presented but David chose, catches the light. “Who was it this time?”

“Romeo,” says David. “On team _Davey likes women_. He’s seen me out alone with you a few times, Kate. Thought we’d’a ‘made a good couple if things had gone different,’ his words not mine. Says he’s happy for you and Jackie, though, and just feels rotten for me gettin’ left behind.”

“Christ, Dave, you really are obvious, ain’cha?” says Jack.

“I figure it’s fine as long as I play along,” David replies, shrugging. “Look a little heartbroken, think long and hard about how much I love Kathy, and bask a little bit in how much our friends love me.”

He holds his free hand out to Jack. Eventually, looking slightly reluctant, Jack takes it. “Jus’ be careful.”

“I always am, love.”

Jack eyes him skeptically for a moment before letting Katherine turn the conversation toward what they’d originally meant to work out tonight. They’re looking to have the wedding in spring of next year, and in the meantime are trying desperately to find a way to include David in the day that’s both meaningful and largely unnoticeable. Jack thinks the best thing to do is have David be his best man, but David has spent the last two weeks insisting that he should give that honor to Crutchie.

“If you were marrying me – and you _are_ marrying me – you’d choose him,” says David. “Crutchie is family to you, he’s your best friend.”

“You’s mighty important too, Dave,” Jack says, “seein’ as I’m marryin’ you, after a fashion.”

“You and I both know it’s not that straightforward,” David replies, shaking his head.

They’re fully prepared to spin this out into another hour long argument, when Katherine cuts in, “I think David should be on my side.”

“What?” both boys say together.

“Who knows if any of my family will show for the wedding,” Katherine says. She doesn’t sound especially upset about it, but David knows that’s at least half her putting on a brave face. Her relationship with her family is strained at best, made all the more tense by accepting Jack’s proposal. “But Davey’s real family. And that’s – yeah, I think he should be on my side.”

David’s out of his seat before he even thinks about it, really, and moves around the table to pull Katherine into a tight hug. He makes eye contact with Jack over her head and Jack’s at her other side in an instant.

“That’s perfect, darling,” David says.

“Why’d you let us argue over it when you had such a perfect idea in that head a’yours already?” Jack asks, tone light and teasing.

“It was so much funnier,” says Katherine, and there’s this edge to her voice like she’s on the verge of either laughter or tears. David isn’t sure which. He kisses the top of her head.

“Katie, you’ve got a little while before you’ve got to head home, right?” David says. She nods. “Perfect. Why don’t we go curl up on the couch or the bed to keep talking about wedding stuff? Be a little more comfortable than the kitchen table.”

“David Jacobs!” Katherine says, and it’s lighter. She swats at him gently. “So _forward_ , I’d never have expected it from you. Inviting a girl into your _bed_ before marriage.”

David laughs, pulling away so he can look at her. “Technically, I’m inviting you into Jack’s bed. Which, you know, might be worse.”

That sets Jack off, and before long all three of them are laughing so hard they can’t breathe.

\--

The thing is, it really does seem like everyone in New York thinks David’s broken up over this engagement. He keeps getting all these sad, sympathetic looks from other newsies and friends. Even one of his coworkers – who usually never suggested that the running joke about him and Katherine is anything more than a joke – gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder while he tried not to stare across the room at Kath the other day.

No one else has actually said anything about it, but it really does feel like a matter of time.

What he’s not expecting is _who_ the next person who feels the need to comment is. They’re at the apartment, along with just about everyone else they know, for Jack and Katherine’s engagement party. David’s pretty happy with how the whole thing’s turned out; he’d organized the food, invited everyone, made sure someone brought drinks, and now it's happening and he can just lean against the wall and watch the whole thing unfold. This many newsies together in a space this small is always a six kinds of chaos and a load of fun to watch.

“I gotta say, Mouth, I really wasn’t expectin’im to choose the dame over you.”

David almost jumps out of his skin at the sound of Spot’s voice. He hadn’t seen the shorter boy walk over, too lost in his own thoughts and in watching Jack across the room. He’s leaning against the wall next to David, who turns to face him.

“That so?” David replies once he’s got his voice back.

“Yeah.” Spot takes a sip of his drink. “Plumber’s a nice gal and all, but the two’a you – I never seen somebody temper Jack Kelly like you do, Jacobs. He’s almost tolerable when you’s around.”

At his words, there’s a deep ache in David’s chest. He turns back toward where Jack is for a moment, before looking back at Spot. It’s hard to say exactly why this conversation and this situation are affecting him like this, but suddenly David’s feeling really choked up.

“Yeah, well,” David says, drinking a little to try to clear this feeling in his throat, “he ain’t gettin’ rid’a me any time soon.”

“Good,” says Spot. He elbows David’s upper arm. “You doin’ alright?”

“Yeah.” David bites his lip, hard. He’s trying to tell himself that this isn’t really happening, that at the end of tonight he’ll be able to kiss Katherine goodbye and crawl into bed with Jack, but there’s this wave of loneliness washing over him and he doesn’t know what to do. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“From what I’ve seen, Jack ain’t actin’ any different with you,” Spot says, and god, why is _Spot Conlon_ of all people this goddamn observant. Why does Spot Conlon of all people _care_? “Ain’t fair to you, really. He’s always been all over you.”

David swallows, still trying to clear this tight feeling. It isn’t working. “That’s Jackie for you, I suppose.”

“Well, you need anybody to get ‘im to cut it out, you gimme a shout.”

“Why are you – Spot, why do you care?”

Spot smiles at him, but it’s not his usual smirk. It’s a real, genuine smile, if a little bit sad. “First of all, Racer fuckin’ loves you. He’s been pacin’ a hole in my floor worryin’ about your broken heart.”

David chuckles at that image. He takes another sip of his drink instead of responding, though.

“Secondly. I like you a hell of a lot more than Kelly,” Spot continues, pointing at him with the hand that’s holding his beer. “An’ if he runs you off over this, I ain’t gonna forgive him any time soon. It’s in my best interest to keep dealin’ with you, Mouth. Jack Kelly’s a dumbass.”

That draws a real laugh from David. “No argument here.”

“So,” says Spot. “Be straight with me. You alright?”

“It comes and goes,” David says, sighing. He looks back toward Jack, who’s been egged on by the guys into pulling Katherine in for a dramatic kiss. “Sometimes it feels like I’m standing on the outside of my own life.”

Spot nudges him again, and David tears his eyes away from Jack and Kath. “Take care’a yourself. He ain’t worth fallin’ to pieces over, but I know it’s not somethin’ you can control.”

David takes a deep breath. “Spot, thanks. But I’m gonna – I think I need to duck out for a minute, I wanna be alone.”

“Go,” says Spot. “I’ll cover ya.”

David doesn’t need telling twice. He crosses the room quickly, stepping into one of the bedrooms and shutting the door behind him. This is ridiculous, getting worked up over Jack and Katherine.

He’s hoping being in this room – his bedroom, nominally, the place where he keeps his clothes and his things but not ever the place where he sleeps, because he sleeps with _Jack_ because he’s marrying Jack in every way that matters – will help him shake this off. He falls heavily onto the bed, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. He’s _not_ in that fragile, unrequited place anymore. Kath and Jack love him.

Kath and Jack love him.

Kath and Jack love him.

But when do they get tired of secrecy and lies and change their mind? When do they realize they don’t need him to have a perfect family? When do they figure out their kids will be better off with normal parents?

“Hey, Davey, darlin’, you in here?” Jack sounds tipsy, his accent thick and endearments rolling easily off his tongue. “Shit, Dave. You okay?”

The mattress dips next to David. “Go back to the party, Jackie.”

“Can’t, love,” Jack says. He leans onto David, arms draping around his neck and shoulders. “You ain’t out there.”

“You’ve been having a plenty good time without me,” says David. “There’s just a lot of people there, I needed a breather. Alone.”

“Katie and I were startin’ to get worried, you’ve been gone a while,” Jack says. His tone is pretty light, still, but David can tell he’s concerned. “C’mon, sweetheart, can I see those gorgeous eyes’a yours?”

David lets out a single, breathy laugh. “Flirt.”

“Only with people who’m gonna marry.” Jack’s grip on David tightens for a moment. “David, look at me. Please?”

And David has never been able to turn Jack down. He drops his hands into his lap, turning his head to meet Jack’s eye.

“You’ve been crying,” says Jack. “Was it somethin’ Spot said? I saw the two’a you talkin’ before you left. I’ll soak’im for you, if you want, you know I will!”

“No, it’s not – Spot’s _fine_ , Jackie, don’t go causin’ problems with Brooklyn for no reason,” David replies. He pushes back from Jack, a hand on his fiancé’s chest. He laughs again, shaking his head. “Jackie, you love me, right?”

“Every day of my life.”

“And Katherine loves me?”

“Of course she does, Davey,” Jack answers, brow furrowed. “Is that –“

“You two aren’t going to – to get tired of me and move on and kick me out, right?”

“ _David_.”

“Jack.” His fingers dig into Jack’s shirt for a moment. “Please, just tell me. Tell me one more time.”

Jack glances toward the bedroom door. It’s still hanging slightly open, but no one’s paying them any attention. He leans close to David again, giving him a swift kiss. It’s over as soon as it starts. “Katherine and I love you more than anything else in this world, David Jacobs. Literally the only reason we aren’t legally marrying you is because we _can’t_ legally marry you. We’ve signed up for you for the long haul. Deal with it.”

David sighs, the tension in his chest finally releasing. “Thanks, Jack. Love you.”

Jack pats David’s cheek. “Love you. Now come on, let’s get back out there.”

\--

About a month before the wedding, David takes Les out to get him something nice to wear. Les has spent his whole life in hand-me-downs from David and their father, and now that David has a little bit of extra money in his pocket he really wants to do something nice for his little brother. They don’t choose anything especially fancy – _new_ is enough for the whole thing to feel terribly special. And they’ve made a whole day of it, making up a little for the lack of time they’ve spent together since David moved out of their parents’ apartment.

“You know, Davey, you’re a really good friend,” Les says over lunch.

“What do you mean, Les?” David asks, surprised.

“Helping Jack and Katherine with their wedding and all.” Les shrugs. “It’s gotta be hard for you.”

“I don’t understand,” says David, but he thinks he knows what Les is getting at.

“Well, you’re in love with –“ Les starts, but he freezes for a second midsentence, studying his brother’s face. He chews on his lower lip for a moment before finishing. “Uh, Kathy.”

David is frozen in his seat as he realizes what Les almost said. What Les must know. Eventually, he nods. “Oh, uh, that. Yeah, well. I love – her. So I’d rather try to help make her happy if I can than hang back and feel sorry for myself.”

Les hums and the subject changes for now.

It comes back up later, when the two of them are walking side by side through the park with Les’s new clothes in a bag hanging off David’s arm.

“It’s really Jack, isn’t it?” Les says quietly. “That you’re –“

“Yes,” David answers. It’s an easy lie, not even quite a lie. He’s been in love with Jack much longer than he’s been in love with Katherine. He’s not surprised, really, that of the two this is the one Les has spotted. Les has spent an awful lot of time with Jack and David together.

Les stops walking, and when David stops too, Les pulls him into a hug. “You’re a good friend, Davey. I hope I can be as good a friend as you when I grow up.”

David almost bursts into tears right then and there. He doesn’t, because they’re in public and Les would be ridiculously embarrassed. Instead he leans into the hug and soaks up Les’s clumsy, thirteen-year-old attempt at comfort. He lets himself appreciate how lucky he is that Les is sympathetic and not disgusted.

“Thanks, Les.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get too mushy about it, ‘kay?”

\--

David spends the night before the wedding at his parents’ place. He doesn’t tell them why. If they’d asked he had a story ready that Jack’s nerves were getting to him and he needed to get out of the apartment before he lost his own mind, but the reality was that he and Jack and Katherine had agreed it would be nice if all three of them could have that _first sight_ moment. And anyway, as something approaching Katherine’s maid of honor, if he were going to be with either of them this morning it ought to be her, but her family had decided they _were_ attending, and that Katherine’s sisters would be her bridesmaids despite the fact that she’d grown so far apart from them in the last few years, in exchange for paying for much of the wedding. And given that situation, David is letting the bridesmaids help Katherine get ready and will meet them at the church later.

So he stays the night in his childhood bedroom, but in Sarah’s old bed since she got married and moved out around the same time David moved in with Jack. He gets ready that morning on his own, a little nervous but very excited, and tries to ignore the sad looks his little brother is giving him.

David’s never been to a Christian wedding before, but he knows exactly what’s going to happen because Katherine has the whole thing planned down to the microsecond. He’s going over the sequence of things in his head as he tries to tie his tie with shaking hands. Eventually Les rolls his eyes and pulls it out of David’s hands to tie himself.

“They’ll still be your best friends when they’re married,” Les says quietly.

David smiles. “Yeah, I know. I’m excited for them. Things are just going to be different.”

He arrives at the church early. He knows he’ll get to see Katherine before Jack will, but he’s still not quite prepared for the sight of her. Her dress is white – a trend that’s been growing in popularity for a while, although no one David’s ever known has had the money to spare on a dress just to get married in. Her hair is pulled back in an intricate updo with a veil pinned onto it. She’s gorgeous.

Katherine lights up when he enters the room, sweeping over to him and pulling him into a hug. At this distance, David can see that she’s already a little teary.

“Darling, _darling_ , you look beautiful,” he says. His own eyes are starting to sting, too. “Katie, you’re going to make me cry, too. We –“ he glances over Katherine’s shoulder at her sisters, who are frowning at him. “You haven’t even seen Jack yet, sweetheart, it’s too soon for tears.”

“But I’ve seen _you_ ,” Katherine replies, and she’s smiling so brightly it makes David’s heart flutter. Her voice is low enough that he’s sure he’s the only one who can really hear her. “This is really happening, isn’t it? Today’s our wedding day.”

“Today’s the day.”

The lucky thing, David supposes, about being the odd one out at the wedding is that he actually gets to see _both_ of his beautiful fiancés before either of them get to see each other. He processes in ahead of Katherine, after all, and makes eye contact with Jack whose whole face softens at the sight of him.

 _Just wait till you see her,_ he mouths at Jack, more tears threatening to make themselves known. _She’s beautiful_.

David never understood why people cry at weddings before today. No, he’s not the one saying vows, but he’s entirely overwhelmed by his own emotions. He’s so happy, so in love, so excited to hold Jack and Katherine in his arms tonight and know that they’re _his_ for the rest of their lives. He knows he’s blubbering like a fool, and he can’t bring himself to care.

Crutchie keeps looking across at him. David’s trying to pretend he hasn’t noticed.

The reception is chaotic, to put it kindly. There’s music and dancing and drinking and it’s a little bit like the engagement party on a much grander scale, with Katherine’s family and their crowd mixed in for a little bit of extra confusion. It’s the most fun David’s had in ages.

Katherine and Jack had a very sweet first dance early on, and since then they’ve both pulled David out to the dance floor more than once, as well as returned to the floor together a few times. David’s dying to find some way for the three of them to catch more than a moment together, but there hasn’t been much opportunity. Everyone wants a piece of the happy couple, and David’s had a hard time getting a word in edgewise.

He does keep getting sympathetic and sad looks from their friends. He can’t help but wonder if some of them saw his tears and misinterpreted them – not happy tears, but heartbroken.

“Hey, Davey,” Crutchie says as David falls into a seat next to him. He’d just been whirled around the dance floor by Race and he’s trying to catch his breath.

“Hey, Crutchie,” replies David. “Having fun?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s a blast,” says Crutchie, grinning. He glances around, then leans a little bit closer, speaking quietly. “Look, David, I’m sure nobody’s said it to you yet – congratulations.”

“What?” David’s heart just about stops.

“I said congratulations,” Crutchie repeats. He puts his hand over David’s on the table. “I know you won’t want to talk about it, but – I’ve known Jack a long time, alright? I’ve never seen him more settled and happy than when he’s with you and Kath. An’ I saw _you_ , today. There was so much love in your eyes watchin’ those two.” He smiles, wide and genuine. “The three’a yous was _made_ for each other. It won’t always be easy for ya, but I think it’ll be worth it.”

“Thanks, Crutchie,” David eventually convinces himself to say. He’s a little stunned – more than a little. Not one single other person they know has figured out that he’s involved with Jack and Katherine. “Did Jack –“

“Tell me?” Crutchie guesses. “Nah, I just know you. An’ your secret’s safe with me, don’t worry. I just wanted to make sure someone congratulated you, too. It’s your wedding day, after all.”

David smiles, touched. “Thanks. It means a lot.”

“Now, go get your girl,” Crutchie says, nodding toward Katherine who’s approaching to pull David into another dance. “Have a good night!”

It’s not until late that night that David really gets any time with both Jack and Katherine. They’re in their apartment – the apartment that _all three of them_ now share – lying on their bed in a tangle of limbs.

“We’re _married_ ,” Katherine says. She’s staring at the ceiling, playing with David’s hair with one hand. “You two are my husbands!”

“That’s amazing,” David says. He pokes each of them in turn. “Wife. Husband.”

“Husband,” Jack agrees, poking David back then poking Katherine as well. “Wife.”

The three of them dissolve into giggles. Once they’ve settled, David rests his head on Katherine’s shoulder, reaching across her to hold onto Jack’s hand.

“Hey,” he says. “Crutchie knows.”

“Yeah,” says Jack. “He told me this morning. Ain’t gonna spill, though.”

“Nah,” David agrees. “He congratulated us. Said we’re made for each other.”

“That’s for sure,” says Katherine. “I just wish it all didn’t have to be a secret. I wish Davey could’ve been a real part of today, instead of just an onlooker. But if this is how it has to be, I’m glad I’ve got the two of you however I can.”

“You can say that again,” Jack agrees. “We got the rest of our lives together now, and I’m excited for every minute of it.”

David smiles, relaxing into the moment with his new spouses. He may not have married them officially today, but _they_ know. There’s no chance in hell he’s giving this up. “So am I, Jackie. So am I.”


End file.
